AONE5 ex-JFK via MIA to EZE - best dining
Sep 24, 2008 | 12:13 pm
#16
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Sydney
Programs: VA Platinum, SG Solitaire PPS, Hyatt Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 413
Another example of a very poor experience that might have been minimized had the OP asked questions before booking an evening departure from JFK to MIA with only an hour at MIA to connect.
I can't fault the OP for not knowing that evening JFK departures on AA are almost always delayed by an hour or two. I fly JFK-LAX every few weeks in the early evening and count on a one hour plus ground delay after pushing back every time. Fortunately, LAX is home for me so the delays don't matter. If I were hoping to make a one-hour connection at LAX for SYD or HKG, I'd leave JFK in mid-day instead of relying on an unrealistically short connecting layover.
Had the OP asked on the AA forum whether an hour connection at MIA at this time of day was reasonable, the answer would have been a resounding "no." The OP should have booked JFK-EZE or should have planned to take the earlier flight JFK-MIA to leave some cushion for screw-ups like this.
Flyertalk is a great resource to ask questions ahead of time. That doesn't excuse AA's shoddy treatment of the OP. I hope the real lesson for the OP isn't that AA sucks and doesn't care about their premium passengers, but that Flyertalk is a place to ask others for advice prior to booking the tickets.
I can't fault the OP for not knowing that evening JFK departures on AA are almost always delayed by an hour or two. I fly JFK-LAX every few weeks in the early evening and count on a one hour plus ground delay after pushing back every time. Fortunately, LAX is home for me so the delays don't matter. If I were hoping to make a one-hour connection at LAX for SYD or HKG, I'd leave JFK in mid-day instead of relying on an unrealistically short connecting layover.
Had the OP asked on the AA forum whether an hour connection at MIA at this time of day was reasonable, the answer would have been a resounding "no." The OP should have booked JFK-EZE or should have planned to take the earlier flight JFK-MIA to leave some cushion for screw-ups like this.
Flyertalk is a great resource to ask questions ahead of time. That doesn't excuse AA's shoddy treatment of the OP. I hope the real lesson for the OP isn't that AA sucks and doesn't care about their premium passengers, but that Flyertalk is a place to ask others for advice prior to booking the tickets.
For info, we did the MIA - EZE sector last night. No flagship lounge at MIA then!! Pre-flight dining options were bits of cheese and carrot, with pretzels. Or in terminal E, there was a pizza hut! On boarding, the first four F seats were taken up with AA staff, who carried on talking together as the F passengers got on. Three of them slept the whole flight. When the pilots were sleeping, the first four seats were all AA staff. Staff got served first. No vegetarian meal option as expected. Service not terrible but quite regimented and not a patch on BA, Qantas, Cathay etc. There seems to be a cultural thing at American where you don't speak to a customer unless spoken to and then impart the absolute minimum.
Should have done JFK - EZE as suggested, but with help from this forum when booking the AONE5 we were trying to maximise the F sectors.
Last edited by astonmartinv8; Sep 24, 2008 at 12:22 pm
Sep 24, 2008 | 12:20 pm
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Sydney
Programs: VA Platinum, SG Solitaire PPS, Hyatt Lifetime Globalist
Posts: 413
Regarding the JFK-MIA experience, I have written to both Gerard Arpey, CEO / Chair and President of AMR / AA and also Ralph Richardi who is their Senior Vice-President for Customer Services.
I have asked Mr. Arpey for a personal response.
Let's see what happens. You never know.
Best regards,
Marcus.
I have asked Mr. Arpey for a personal response.
Let's see what happens. You never know.
Best regards,
Marcus.
Sep 24, 2008 | 6:04 pm
#18
Join Date: Sep 2000
Location: Circle City
Posts: 3,568
For info, we did the MIA - EZE sector last night. No flagship lounge at MIA then!! Pre-flight dining options were bits of cheese and carrot, with pretzels. Or in terminal E, there was a pizza hut! On boarding, the first four F seats were taken up with AA staff, who carried on talking together as the F passengers got on. Three of them slept the whole flight. When the pilots were sleeping, the first four seats were all AA staff. Staff got served first. No vegetarian meal option as expected. Service not terrible but quite regimented and not a patch on BA, Qantas, Cathay etc. There seems to be a cultural thing at American where you don't speak to a customer unless spoken to and then impart the absolute minimum.
Sep 25, 2008 | 4:13 am
#19
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: Duluth, GA
Programs: AAdvantage PLT, AA 2MM, Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,268
good trip to S. Am. in biz on AA
Shame, as my relatively recent experience on AA was very different. I have only taken one AA flight to South America, which was horrible. I have since heard that the South America flights are notoriously bad on AA, especially in premium classes. The trans-Atlantic flights, although not as good as many other airlines, were actually quite pleasant.
I found travel on AA between US and BR to be very pleasant experiences, other than op-up coming back went to a lifetime GLD instead of my 20-yr-old daughter. AA did the right thing IMHO, though she didn't see it that way at the time.
Sep 26, 2008 | 2:55 pm
#20
Moderator: Asiana & Qantas Frequent Flyer
Join Date: Dec 2006
Location: STR/SYD/SMF
Programs: QF LTG / P1 , LH LT SEN / HON, OZ LT Diamond +, Marriott LT PT, HH Diamond,
Posts: 15,153
I had AA do great things for me during irr-ops and found them to be quite good. I must have been lucky I guess.
Sep 26, 2008 | 6:35 pm
#21
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: UK (LAS)
Programs: AA Ex Plat, ICH Plat RA, Hyatt Diamond, LAN Prem Silver
Posts: 544
I had AA do great things for me during irr-ops and found them to be quite good. I must have been lucky I guess.
Count your blessings! Try to avoid Miami at all costs when there is any bad weather. No management and for some odd reason the AA luggage dept seems to go sleep. Hardly surprising as it is a 3rd world city with a 3rd world airport.
I always used to think Qantas overrated themselves - a common Australian trait - until I started flying in the States.
Count your blessings! Try to avoid Miami at all costs when there is any bad weather. No management and for some odd reason the AA luggage dept seems to go sleep. Hardly surprising as it is a 3rd world city with a 3rd world airport.
I always used to think Qantas overrated themselves - a common Australian trait - until I started flying in the States.